‘Are We Back To The Days of Crackdowns?’ asks National Conference

Srinagar: National Conference on Wednesday expressed shock and disappointment over a ruthless incident of assault on civilians in Soura and said the police action was reprehensible and indicated the enormous disconnect between the Government and the simmering ground situation in the Valley.

Political Secretary to NC Working President, Tanvir Sadiq said such acts would continue to worsen the situation and prove counterproductive and that he stood in solidarity with those who had sustained grievous injuries in the police crackdown.

“This is extremely unfortunately and utterly condemnable. Our hearts go out to those civilians who were at the receiving end of the brutal onslaught. This is another failure by the political leadership of this Government. The wave on indiscriminate arrests is yet again fuelling the anger on the ground and such incidents reflect that the Government’s tyrannical approach and belies their rhetoric,” Tanvir Sadiq said in a party statement issued this evening.

Tanvir Sadiq said the Government should immediately stop the current policy of nocturnal raids, arrests, slapping PSAs and undertaking mass repression and said an operational approach cannot help in resolving a political issue.

“The current unrest in the State has been further fuelled by the Government’s policies. You cannot barge into houses in the middle of the night or carry on indiscriminate arrests and expect the situation to improve. Rather than engaging with the youth, the Government is targeting the youth. This is unacceptable,” Sadiq added in the statement.

“The crackdown in Aanchar is a very alarming indicator of where we are today. Are we back to the days of identification parades, crackdowns and nocturnal round-ups? The Police action in Aanchar started around Fajr prayers in the morning and this policy makes us wonder if the State has declared war on the people? The report of a youth sustaining serious injury due to a teargas shell trauma is also sad and discomforting. Many youth have suffered serious injuries and are undergoing treatment – the extent of these injuries is shocking,” Sadiq added.